A 45-year-old military veteran, who lived next to the bar in the town of Anaconda, has been identified as the suspect for the deed on Friday. Local police have made a house search in his residence but without being able to arrest him.
The man disappeared from the bar in a white pickup. The search for him is still ongoing, among other things in forest areas on the outskirts of the town, which has about 9,000 inhabitants.
He is believed to be armed and he is extremely dangerous, says Lee Johnson at the state's criminal police.
The suspect has, among other things, served in Iraq. A relative states that he has been suffering from mental illness for several years and relatives have tried to seek help for him.
The inhabitants of and around Anaconda are urged to stay indoors and be observant.
The circumstances surrounding the deed are unclear. The bar owner David Gwerder states that the man knew everyone in the bar and was not in conflict with anyone.
I think he just snapped, says Gwerder.
